Theodore Goddard
Encyclopedia
Theodore Goddard was an English
law firm
based in London
. The firm merged with Addleshaw Booth & Co
on 1 May 2003 to become Addleshaw Goddard
. The firm was established by John Theodore Goddard, the solicitor
appointed by Wallis Simpson as an adviser to her during divorce
proceedings and in relation to her involvement during the United Kingdom
abdication Crisis of 1936 (see below).
, close by the Law Courts
. Working the London court circuit as a litigator, his reputation soon enabled him to attract as a valuable client the newly created office of The Public Trustee
. With the growth of the practice, he moved to new offices in Sergeant's Inn
in the Temple area of London
in 1917.
. John Theodore Goddard become known nationwide when, in 1936, he was instructed by Mrs Wallis Simpson (the late Duchess of Windsor) to act for her in her divorce proceedings. When King Edward VIII
's intention to marry Mrs Simpson became known, Goddard became closely involved, at the behest of Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin
, in the delicate abdication
negotiations.
or staging the appearance of his adultery so that she could marry someone else. On Monday 7 December 1936, the King heard that Goddard planned to fly to the south of France to see his client. The King summoned him and expressly forbade him to make the journey, fearing the visit might put doubts in Mrs Simpson's mind. Goddard went straight to Downing Street
to see Baldwin, as a result of which he was provided with an aeroplane to take him directly to Cannes
.
Upon his arrival, Goddard warned his client that a citizen's intervention, should it arise, was likely to succeed. It was, according to Goddard, his duty to advise her to withdraw her divorce petition. Mrs Simpson refused, but they both telephoned the King to inform him that she was willing to give him up so that he could remain King. It was, however, too late; the King had already made up his mind to go, even if he could not marry Mrs Simpson. Indeed, as the belief that the abdication was inevitable gathered strength, Goddard stated that: "[his] client was ready to do anything to ease the situation but the other end of the wicket [Edward VIII] was determined".
Goddard had a weak heart and had never flown before, so he asked his doctor, William Kirkwood, to accompany him on the trip. As Kirkwood was a resident at a maternity hospital, his presence led to false speculation that Mrs Simpson was pregnant, and even that she was having an abortion. The press excitedly reported that the solicitor had flown to Mrs Simpson accompanied by a gynaecologist and an anaesthetist (who was actually the lawyer's clerk).
air raid
and were completely destroyed, together with most of the firm's records and clients' papers. The firm then relocated to New Court, immediately behind the Law Courts
, which remained its home until its move to the City of London
in 1965.
John Theodore Goddard retired as Senior Partner in 1950 and died in 1952. However, the 1950s saw a period of further growth through amalgamation with, in particular, the City firm of Deacons & Pritchard (founded in 1834) and the firm of Rhys Roberts & Co (founded in 1883 by future Prime Minister David Lloyd George
who had been a Partner thereof for many years until his Parliament
ary duties grew too burdensome).
The firm developed as a balanced general practice, with an emphasis on private client work. The firm was again caught up in one of the biggest political scandals in Britain in the 20th century (the Profumo Affair
). In 1963, then senior partner Derek Clogg was instructed by John Profumo
. The solicitor was referred to in the Hansard transcripts of the House of Commons as "a solicitor of the highest reputation and widest experience" who "has had great experience in cases dealing with libel, with divorce and all those matters where human frailty and possible lying may come into account". The firm was similarly described as being "a very well known firm of London solicitors". However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Theodore Goddard & Co. attracted many company clients and the commercial side of the practice grew rapidly.
This led to the decision in 1965 to concentrate on this work and move to offices in St. Martin's Le Grand
in the City of London
.
Company, commercial and international work continued to increase during the next 20 years, by which time it had become the predominant part of the practice.
By the end of the 1980s the London office had grown to a total of over 300 staff with over 40 partners. This made it necessary to move offices again in 1990, this time to offices at 150 Aldersgate Street
(which continued to form part of the London network of offices operated by the merged firm Addleshaw Goddard
see below).
, Brussels
and Paris
amongst others. For a short time, there was also a small office run out of St. Albans
.
Theodore Goddard continued to retain a strong media and entertainment
law practice alongside a private client capability (including private tax
work for members of The Rolling Stones
, David Bowie
and others, and defamation lawyer
s) at a time when many City law firm
s were divesting themselves of such business areas and concentrating on pure corporate matters. This diversity occasionally gave rise to high-profile cases involving celebrities
including the firm's instruction in relation to the Hello! magazine dispute over photographs of Catherine Zeta Jones's wedding to Michael Douglas
and its appointment by Michael Jackson
to advise on the controversial Living with Michael Jackson
documentary
.
Toward the end of the 1990s and the early part of the 21st century, the firm was linked to a succession of potential merger targets including a rejected offer from Eversheds
in 1993 and a proposed tri-partite amalgamation in 1998 with Richards Butler and Denton Hall
. However, following a third failed merger attempt in 2001, this time with Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn
, the firm's credibility as a viable partnership was beginning to be called into question in both the legal press and the wider profession.
Consequently, in early 2003 following an approach by North of England firm Addleshaw Booth & Co
, the fourth proposed merger was approved with very little resistance from the partnership. Five years on, the merger was described as "the most successful law firm merger since 2000". As of 2010 the merged firm of Addleshaw Goddard
continued to operate out of offices in Leeds
, Manchester
and London
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The firm merged with Addleshaw Booth & Co
Addleshaw Booth & Co
Addleshaw Booth & Co was an English law firm which merged with Theodore Goddard in May 2003.Itself the product of a merger between Booth & Co. and Addleshaw Sons & Latham, Addleshaw Booth was a 'heavyweight' in the North of England legal sector, with offices in Leeds and Manchester...
on 1 May 2003 to become Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a corporate law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is structured as a LLP and has almost 750 lawyers, with offices in Leeds, London and Manchester...
. The firm was established by John Theodore Goddard, the solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
appointed by Wallis Simpson as an adviser to her during divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
proceedings and in relation to her involvement during the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
abdication Crisis of 1936 (see below).
Early life
As a young man of 24, John Theodore Goddard founded the practice of Theodore Goddard & Co in 1902. For some years, he practised on his own account from offices in Clement's InnInns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
, close by the Law Courts
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
. Working the London court circuit as a litigator, his reputation soon enabled him to attract as a valuable client the newly created office of The Public Trustee
Public trustee
The public trustee is an office established pursuant to national statute, to act as a trustee, usually where a sum is required to be deposited as security by legislation, where courts remove another trustee, or for estates where either no executor is named by will or the testator elects to name...
. With the growth of the practice, he moved to new offices in Sergeant's Inn
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
in the Temple area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1917.
Growth of the practice
Over the next 30 years, there was further progress and by 1946 the firm of Theodore Goddard & Co had eight partnersPartnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
. John Theodore Goddard become known nationwide when, in 1936, he was instructed by Mrs Wallis Simpson (the late Duchess of Windsor) to act for her in her divorce proceedings. When King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
's intention to marry Mrs Simpson became known, Goddard became closely involved, at the behest of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
, in the delicate abdication
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
negotiations.
Role in the abdication
Following Mrs Simpson's divorce hearing on 27 October 1936, Goddard became concerned that there would be a "patriotic" citizen's intervention (a legal device to block the divorce), and that such an intervention would be successful. The courts could not grant a divorce by consent of both parties, and so the case was being handled as if it were an undefended at-fault divorce brought against Mr Simpson, with Mrs Simpson as the innocent, injured party. The divorce action would fail if the citizen's intervention showed that Mrs Simpson had colluded with her husband by, for example, conniving inConnivance
A legal finding of connivance may be made when an accuser has assisted in the act about which they are complaining. In some legal jurisdictions, and for certain behaviors, it may prevent the accuser from prevailing....
or staging the appearance of his adultery so that she could marry someone else. On Monday 7 December 1936, the King heard that Goddard planned to fly to the south of France to see his client. The King summoned him and expressly forbade him to make the journey, fearing the visit might put doubts in Mrs Simpson's mind. Goddard went straight to Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
to see Baldwin, as a result of which he was provided with an aeroplane to take him directly to Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
.
Upon his arrival, Goddard warned his client that a citizen's intervention, should it arise, was likely to succeed. It was, according to Goddard, his duty to advise her to withdraw her divorce petition. Mrs Simpson refused, but they both telephoned the King to inform him that she was willing to give him up so that he could remain King. It was, however, too late; the King had already made up his mind to go, even if he could not marry Mrs Simpson. Indeed, as the belief that the abdication was inevitable gathered strength, Goddard stated that: "[his] client was ready to do anything to ease the situation but the other end of the wicket [Edward VIII] was determined".
Goddard had a weak heart and had never flown before, so he asked his doctor, William Kirkwood, to accompany him on the trip. As Kirkwood was a resident at a maternity hospital, his presence led to false speculation that Mrs Simpson was pregnant, and even that she was having an abortion. The press excitedly reported that the solicitor had flown to Mrs Simpson accompanied by a gynaecologist and an anaesthetist (who was actually the lawyer's clerk).
The practice generally
In 1941, the offices suffered a direct hit during a BlitzThe Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
air raid
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
and were completely destroyed, together with most of the firm's records and clients' papers. The firm then relocated to New Court, immediately behind the Law Courts
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
, which remained its home until its move to the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
in 1965.
John Theodore Goddard retired as Senior Partner in 1950 and died in 1952. However, the 1950s saw a period of further growth through amalgamation with, in particular, the City firm of Deacons & Pritchard (founded in 1834) and the firm of Rhys Roberts & Co (founded in 1883 by future Prime Minister David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
who had been a Partner thereof for many years until his Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
ary duties grew too burdensome).
The firm developed as a balanced general practice, with an emphasis on private client work. The firm was again caught up in one of the biggest political scandals in Britain in the 20th century (the Profumo Affair
Profumo Affair
The Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of...
). In 1963, then senior partner Derek Clogg was instructed by John Profumo
John Profumo
Brigadier John Dennis Profumo, 5th Baron Profumo CBE , informally known as Jack Profumo , was a British politician. His title, 5th Baron, which he did not use, was Italian. Although Profumo held an increasingly responsible series of political posts in the 1950s, he is best known today for his...
. The solicitor was referred to in the Hansard transcripts of the House of Commons as "a solicitor of the highest reputation and widest experience" who "has had great experience in cases dealing with libel, with divorce and all those matters where human frailty and possible lying may come into account". The firm was similarly described as being "a very well known firm of London solicitors". However, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Theodore Goddard & Co. attracted many company clients and the commercial side of the practice grew rapidly.
This led to the decision in 1965 to concentrate on this work and move to offices in St. Martin's Le Grand
St. Martin's Le Grand
St Martin’s le Grand is a street and former liberty in the City of London between Newgate Street and Cheapside to the south and Aldersgate Street and London Wall to the north. To the east of the road once stood the collegiate church and monastic precinct of St Martin's, of ancient origin...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
Company, commercial and international work continued to increase during the next 20 years, by which time it had become the predominant part of the practice.
By the end of the 1980s the London office had grown to a total of over 300 staff with over 40 partners. This made it necessary to move offices again in 1990, this time to offices at 150 Aldersgate Street
Aldersgate
Aldersgate was a gate in the London Wall in the City of London, which has given its name to a ward and Aldersgate Street, a road leading north from the site of the gate, towards Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington.-History:...
(which continued to form part of the London network of offices operated by the merged firm Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a corporate law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is structured as a LLP and has almost 750 lawyers, with offices in Leeds, London and Manchester...
see below).
The 1990s, 2000s and the merger
During the expansion of the practice throughout the 1990s, the firm at times experimented with international associate offices in WarsawWarsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
amongst others. For a short time, there was also a small office run out of St. Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
.
Theodore Goddard continued to retain a strong media and entertainment
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
law practice alongside a private client capability (including private tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
work for members of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and others, and defamation lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s) at a time when many City law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
s were divesting themselves of such business areas and concentrating on pure corporate matters. This diversity occasionally gave rise to high-profile cases involving celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
including the firm's instruction in relation to the Hello! magazine dispute over photographs of Catherine Zeta Jones's wedding to Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and its appointment by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
to advise on the controversial Living with Michael Jackson
Living with Michael Jackson
Living with Michael Jackson is a Granada Television documentary, in which British journalist Martin Bashir interviewed Michael Jackson over a span of eight months, from May 2002 to January 2003...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
.
Toward the end of the 1990s and the early part of the 21st century, the firm was linked to a succession of potential merger targets including a rejected offer from Eversheds
Eversheds
Eversheds LLP is an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the 50 largest law firms in the world measured by revenues. In 2009/10 it achieved total revenues of £355.2 million, making it the ninth-largest UK-based law firm by this measurement, and profits per...
in 1993 and a proposed tri-partite amalgamation in 1998 with Richards Butler and Denton Hall
Denton Wilde Sapte
Denton Wilde Sapte LLP was an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. On 26 May 2010, the firm announced that it had reached agreement to merge with the U.S.-based law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal...
. However, following a third failed merger attempt in 2001, this time with Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn
Salans
Salans is an international, full-service law firm operating from 22 offices across 17 countries.-Profile:With 22 offices located in the world’s main commercial centres and emerging markets, Salans’ lawyers advise on complex transactions using a combination of local and international expertise...
, the firm's credibility as a viable partnership was beginning to be called into question in both the legal press and the wider profession.
Consequently, in early 2003 following an approach by North of England firm Addleshaw Booth & Co
Addleshaw Booth & Co
Addleshaw Booth & Co was an English law firm which merged with Theodore Goddard in May 2003.Itself the product of a merger between Booth & Co. and Addleshaw Sons & Latham, Addleshaw Booth was a 'heavyweight' in the North of England legal sector, with offices in Leeds and Manchester...
, the fourth proposed merger was approved with very little resistance from the partnership. Five years on, the merger was described as "the most successful law firm merger since 2000". As of 2010 the merged firm of Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard LLP is a corporate law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is structured as a LLP and has almost 750 lawyers, with offices in Leeds, London and Manchester...
continued to operate out of offices in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.